The Viper

Chapter 6

2 Weeks Later

"So, Darth Vader, is Luke Skywalker's father?" Steve asked in disbelief as the end credits of Empire Strikes Back began to roll on the T.V. screen.

Serena nodded. "Yep."

"What's going to happen to Han Solo?" Steve asked with concern.

Serena sighed as she grabbed the T.V. remote and exited out of Empire Strikes Back and pressed play on Return of the Jedi.

"There's a whole other movie." She said with a smile as she stood up from her seat on the couch.

"Where're you going?" He asked looking over the back of his couch.

"To raid your fridge...obviously." She said with a smirk as she walked into his kitchen.

In the last couple of weeks, both Steve and Serena have gotten closer. Since their run-in at her parents' house, both decided to start checking off items on their to-do list. So far, they've watched Titanic (which made Steve cry like a baby, but Serena didn't judge), Mean Girls (which made Steve start to understand how Serena's mind operates, but again Serena didn't judge), and he tried a Margarita, which he wasn't a big fan of.... Serena on the other hand, could drink 10 of them. So, to compensate for times Serena invited Steve over to her apartment, Steve invited Serena over to his apartment...and as of right now, it was 4 in the morning.

"Perfect." Serena said as she walked back to the couch with a spoon and a pint of ice cream in hand.

"Aren't you going to get a bowl?" Steve asked gesturing to the ice cream container.

Serena shrugged as she sat down. "You have 3 more unopened pints in there...I highly doubt you're going to eat this one...plus the seal isn't broken, so I won't get your germs."

Steve rolled his eyes and looked over to Molly who was resting her head in his lap. He gently began to pet the dog's head.

"I swear to god that she loves you more than me." Serena said with an eyeroll as she tucked her legs underneath her. "And you haven't even known her for that long."

"What can I say?" Steve said with a shrug. "I'm good with animals."

"And people...to some extent." Serena said after a pause.

He frowned. "What's that supposed to mean?"

She placed her ice cream on the coffee table, and turned her body to face him, a smile present on her face. "You literally thought I joined SHIELD, just so that I could boost my kill counts."

"I...I didn't know your true intentions...or the fact that your father is on the World Security Council." Steve explained making Serena laugh.

"See...not good with people...that much...but then again, here I am, in your apartment for the 3rd time this week." She explained as she reached for her ice cream. "Raiding your fridge and stealing your ice cream."

He smiled. "You have a point."

She turned her body back towards the movie, but he could not take his eyes off her. He was taken with her. While Serena did have trust issues, Steve began to slowly realize that her trust issues were getting better (at least with him). She opened to him, and he opened to her. Both bonding over their trauma, and grief...he didn't understand if this is what modern-day dating was like (even though he knew they weren't dating), he didn't mind if it was...the only thing was building up the courage to ask her to dinner. That might be the hardest thing he's ever done. But looking over her now, in a pair of black leggings and a CIA sweatshirt, with her brown hair pulled back into a high ponytail, she looked...calm. Normal, casual...quite possibly the most casual person he's ever been near for a long period of time...he felt more comfortable and open with her than Natasha, which he felt a little surprised by...but he felt normal around her. He felt like Steve Rogers around her, not Captain America.